Anna University is a technical college in Tamil Nadu, India. The main university campus is in Guindy, Chennai. It was named after C. N. Annadurai, Tamil Nadu's former chief minister on September 4, 1978. It became an affiliated university in 2001, absorbing all engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu. In 2007, it was divided into six constituent universities namely Chennai (campus), Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli and Tirunelveli. On September 14, 2011, the constituents were again merged into a unique affiliated university for engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu.
The Government of Tamil Nadu established the Anna University of Technology on September 4, 1978 through Tamil Nadu Act 30 of 1978. The new university was formed from the faculty of engineering and technology of the University of Madras and consisted of four Institutes Madras Institute of Technology, College of Engineering, Guindy, Alagappa College of Technology and School of Architecture and Planning. In 1982, the current name name "Anna University" was adopted.
In 2001, under the Anna University Amendment Act of 2001, the university became an affiliated university, taking under its wing all engineering schools in Tamil Nadu. This included six government engineering colleges, three privately subsidized government institutions, and 426 self-funded universities. On 1 February 2007, as a result of a decision by the Tamil Nadu Government, the university was divided into six university constituent universities, namely, Anna University, Chennai, Anna University of Technology, Chennai University Technology by Anna, Tiruchirappalli, Anna University of Technology, Coimbatore, Anna Tirunelveli University of Technology and Ana, Madurai University of Technology. The institutes were formally created in 2010. On September 14, 2011, a bill was approved to consolidate universities. However, as of February 2012, the separate universities are still functioning.